Expression of the NGF receptor gene in sensory neurons and their cutaneous targets prior to and during innervation.

We have studied the expression of NGF receptor (NGFR) mRNA in the mouse trigeminal system at closely staged intervals throughout development. The level of NGFR mRNA per neuron is at a constant low level before the earliest axons reach the target field and increases 5-fold to plateau shortly after the arrival of the last axons. NGFR mRNA expression in developing target skin is restricted to mesenchyme, precedes the arrival of the earliest axons, and increases throughout the phase of target field innervation. These findings suggest that NGFR expression on sensory neurons occurs at a low level prior to target field innervation and is up-regulated with this event, and they raise the possibility that NGFRs on mesenchymal cells restrict the distribution of NGF in the target field.